Letter from the editor

A Little Silliness. A Lot of Heart.

What happens when a community says, “I’m in!” to trying something new.

I had the best time working alongside Anjanette Bonham of the Adams County Convention & Visitors Bureau as we planned every detail together.

What really made the day work was a whole community willing to try something a little different. Willing to say “I’m in!”

More than 30 businesses took part, opening their doors and welcoming in the Helens. Some visitors from across Nebraska were discovering downtown Hastings for the first time. Even local residents stepped into shops they’d never visited.

That was exactly what we’d hoped for: to give people a reason to come downtown and then let them discover what’s here.

What I hadn’t quite anticipated was how quickly strangers would feel like friends. Somewhere between the caftans and the chunky jewelry, we found that old summer-camp feeling—when you’ve only just met, but already feel like you belong.

You’ll find more moments from the Romp in this issue—including Helens filling a tattoo parlor for temporary Stanley Roper tattoos. (Wait till you see it!)

To the businesses, the participants, and everyone who helped bring this day to life: thank you. You gave me another reason to love telling stories about Nebraska.

That’s what I want to share in The Bright Side: people giving one another a warm welcome, neighbors trying something new, and reasons to enjoy the communities we call home.

Sometimes, those stories just happen to come while wearing a curly red wig.

With gratitude and a full heart,
Colleen

Letters to the Editor

Dear Bright Side…

Notes on our first birthday.

The Bright Side is more than a magazine— it’s a community.

“Dear Bright Side…” is a place for feedback. Maybe a story here sparked a memory, or made you want to visit it, just anything you’d like to add. Each issue, I’ll share a few notes here.

P.S. Can’t wait to hear from you.

This Time in Nebraska History

Halloween edition!

Nearly 65 years ago, Hastings College students celebrated Halloween trying to break a world-record for jamming students into one room.

In 1959, 22 college students from Saint Mary’s College in California, packed into a telephone booth. They were photographed in Life Magazine.

Soon similar stunts popped up all across the globe.

Including here in Nebraska.

Except these guys were also hoping to make history.

At 10 p.m. on Halloween night 1961, 178 students squeezed into a two-person dorm room in Bronc Hall, hoping to set a world record in “room-jamming.”

Just 11 feet wide and 17 feet long, with desks, beds, and chairs. A typical dorm room designed to accommodate just two students—not 178.

They packed into the main living space, the closets, and even built-ins.

The Assistant dean of men was there to take an official count as was the Hastings Tribune to document the moment. They reported the temperature in the room climbed above 100 degrees as the students crammed in.

Two things were broken that evening.

A towel rack and a world record.

However, that record was short lived. The same evening Hastings College students were stuffing themselves into a room, the same thing was happening at a college in New York… and they had 19 more students.

Still, 65 years later, the photograph still invites one very reasonable question: How on earth did they all fit?

Record or no record, they certainly made a memory worth keeping.

Bright Side Good News Moment

Swans for David

One mother’s gift honors her son—and the simple outings they loved.

Dorothy Shapland turns 100 in December. Some of her most treasured moments with her son David, came just these past few years.

For David, a special outing didn’t have to be complicated.

Chicken nuggets. A tray on his lap. And a visit to the swans.

David lived with physical and intellectual disabilities and received care in several communities throughout his life. But time together could be as simple—and as meaningful—as picking up lunch and heading to North Park in Holdrege and watching the swans.

He “always wanted to go eat with the swans,” Dorothy recalled.

An idea that wouldn’t let go

David passed away this August at age 77. After his death, Dorothy was sitting in her chair when an idea came to her.

To Dorothy, it felt as though the Lord had spoken to her. The thought arrived suddenly, and with it came a feeling that this was something she needed to do. She would purchase 2 swans for the park.

She contacted the city, which helped make arrangements. Finding suitable swans took some searching before a pair eventually located in Ohio.

Dorothy paid for the swans herself.

It was a gift to the community, but its beginnings were deeply personal: a mother remembering where her son liked to spend an afternoon.

Meet Gomer and Dolly

The new arrivals have names with a little personality—and a connection to David.

Gomer is named for David’s fondness for Gomer Pyle and actor Jim Nabors. Dolly is named for the country singer. There is also a poignant connection: David and Dolly parton passed away on the same day, August 25th, 2026.

A gift of love

As Dorothy’s 100th birthday approaches, she has given Holdrege a gift that carries a piece of her son’s story forward.

The next time you visit North Park, look for Gomer and Dolly.

And remember David, who liked to go eat with the swans.

Bright Side Good News Moment

Their Friend Was at Practice. His Dogs Were Home.

In Central City, a garage camera captured an after-school tradition—and an unexpected welcome.

Johny was at football practice. So why did his friends keep stopping by his house after school?

“To pet the dogs,” he told his mom, Stephanie.

She thought he was joking. Then she checked the garage camera.

Sure enough, there were his friends stopping on their way home from Central City Middle School to give pups Sophie and Nugget some love.

The family’s house sits along the route home for many of the students. For these eighth-graders, it has become a regular stop—even when no one was home.

They’d park their bikes and scooters, walk over to the fence, and show the sweet pups some love.

For Stephanie, watching those everyday visits brought an unexpected lump in her throat.

“I teared up knowing moving to this community was one of the best choices we could have had for our kids,” she said. “And dogs, I guess!”

Nebraska Claim to Fame

There’s Only One!

A little Nebraska town celebrates a unique name.

Hadar’s town sign makes a memorable introduction: “Only Hadar in the USA.”

This Pierce County village in northeast Nebraska has a population of around 300.

It started out as a German immigrant community, and in 1883 when the railroad came to town, it officially became Hadar. (Pronounced “HAY-der” rhyming with “raider”)

That name has a story, too.

It comes from the German word Hader, meaning a quarrel or “wordy argument.” According to one local account, early settlers disagreed about where to make their homes. A minister marked a pole with “HADER,” and the name stayed— although they did change the spelling to Hadar.

Today, the town’s sign offers a much more agreeable introduction: “Only Hadar in the USA.” A little Nebraska history. And a perfectly good reason to stop for a picture.

It’s a simple claim, but a lovely one: this place has a name of its own.

Good News Telegram

Stories from a Coat Drive

As told by volunteers

“We had a mom come in near the end of the day and she needed 2 coats, one for each of her little girls. We had some girls coats left to choose from but they were not the right size.

For some reason, one of the volunteers decided to check the storage room
and found an unopened box of new coats (it had been shoved behind some
folding tables and no one saw it.)

And sure enough, when we opened it up, it just happened to be a box with girls coats and both of their sizes were there. The mom was very grateful and the girls were just beaming.” —Colleen Gallion

“There was one girl who was so excited to get a purple scarf. That was her favorite color and when her mom went to get it she just let out an excited ‘Ohhhhhhh!’ and was just so excited.”—Sue Kohles

“We had a great hunting coat, and one guy quickly claimed it. Another man was interested, too, but saw it was taken. When the first guy decided not to take it, I picked it up and found the other man outside. I gave it to him, and he was the happiest guy in the world.”—John Schweiger

This year the State Knights of Columbus donated 2 pallets of boxes. That’s 500 new coats to give away at St. Leo’s Parish.

Before a donated coat reaches its next owner, someone at St. Leo’s Parish takes a closer look. Volunteers mend, clean, and repair zippers when needed, preparing each coat for a neighbor who will wear it.

“We want the person receiving a coat to feel that they are receiving something that has been thoughtfully prepared for them—not simply something that someone else no longer wanted,” said Renee Miller, interim outreach coordinator.

Last year, the Grand Island parish gave away 1,885 coats.

“Our hope is that everyone who comes through the door feels cared for,” Miller said.

Find details about this year’s coat giveaway and others in The Bright Side’s Event Guide.

Good News Telegram 

Three Teammates. One Thoughtful Stop.

A pickup, an offer of help, and a family connection nobody saw coming. For three Hastings College football players, kindness was simply a reason to pull over.

Three Hastings College football players were driving near campus after class when they spotted an older woman struggling to trim bushes in her front yard.

They pulled over and offered to help.

The students—Jakeveon Bolding, Konrad Prescott, and JD Washington—also offered to check back during the winter to help clear her driveway and sidewalks.

They had no idea she was their professor’s mother-in-law.

Rick Matticks learned about the encounter when he overheard his mother-in-law telling the story. When Matticks next saw the students in class, he asked whether they had stopped to help a woman with her yard work.

Their first question: “How did you know about that?”

Matticks revealed the family connection.

“She was very appreciative and surprised three young men would stop and try to help her out.”

The next day, Mr. Matticks brought in candy for the football players and the entire class to celebrate their kindness.

“They simply did the right thing at the right time, without anyone telling them to,” he said.

That’s my favorite part of the story.

They weren’t expecting a classroom thank-you—or a place in these pages. They had no idea someone would tell their professor.

They just saw a neighbor who could use a hand, and stopped to help.

Bright Side— Everyday Wonders

An Amazing Journey

Nebraska is part of an extraordinary migration— as monarch butterflies head toward Mexico for the winter.

A monarch looks almost too delicate for the task: orange wings, fine black markings, and a body small enough to rest on a flower.

Yet those delicate wings can carry a migrating monarch thousands of miles, riding air currents and rising warm air to conserve energy along the way.

A few monarch wonders

One journey spans several generations. Most summer monarchs live only a few weeks. The butterflies that come from their eggs are often the ones who continue on the journey to Mexico.

Thank a Nebraskan

The Nebraska Magician Who Exposed the Fakes

David P. Abbott loved a good illusion. But when people passed off tricks as messages from the dead, he looked behind the curtain, to expose their secrets.

For a boy growing up in Falls City, NE, all it took was one magic show to get hooked. Soon, David Abbot and his younger sister were creating magic shows of their own.

It was the beginning of a lifelong fascination.

While he grew up to be a businessman, magic was always his passion.

At his home in Omaha, he was inventing illusions and entertaining guests, including famous magicians such as Harry Houdini. One of his best-known creations was a “talking teakettle.” He knew how convincing a carefully constructed trick could be.

That knowledge also made him a formidable investigator of fraudulent mediums —people who used deception to claim they could communicate with the dead.

He wrote a book: Behind the Scenes with the Mediums, and explained how apparently supernatural encounters could be staged, from concealed information to the assistance of accomplices.

At one séance in Lincoln, a voice seemed to travel overhead through a floating trumpet. Abbott blew the whistle on that trick and many others in his book, laying out details of how accomplices could conceal the deception.

He didn’t dismiss every possibility of unexplained phenomena. But he questioned why communication from the departed should require darkness and trickery.

For Abbott, the distinction mattered: an audience could enjoy being fooled by a magician without being asked to believe it had heard from the dead.

Did you know?

Our Very Own Lake Monster

Move over, Loch Ness Monster! Nebraska has a tale of its own.

Does Nebraska have its own lake monster? We certainly have our own legend.

Meet the Walgren Lake Monster, said to lurk near Hay Springs in Nebraska’s Panhandle. In a famous 1923 account, a local man described a 40-foot, alligator-like creature with a horn-like object between its eyes and nostrils.

As the stories grew, so did the monster’s talents: devouring livestock, shaking the earth, and creating a mysterious fog

A monster—or a monster of a tall tale?

A Nebraska newspaperman known for hoaxes likely helped the legend along. But this creature achieved something undeniable: a starring role on the January 1962 cover of Outdoor Nebraska.

Hay Springs has had some fun with its famous resident: the town celebrated its 1985 centennial with monster T-shirts and buttons.

And a few years ago, when each county in the state was asked to submit a drawing to the Museum of Nebraska Art representing their area’s past and present, guess what Sheridan County picked?

See you if you can find it!

Bright Side Halloween Extra

Nebraska’s Own Nessie Connection

The time a Nebraskan went to search for the Loch Ness Monster.

Believe it or not, Nebraska has a real connection to the search for Scotland’s most famous mystery.

You probably know Dr. Edgerton’s brilliant mind brought us flash photography, but he also had many other inventions, including underwater cameras, strobe lights and sonar technology.

And in 1976, Edgerton went on an expedition in search of the Loch Ness Monster.

Using his underwater cameras and sonar to search the famed Scotland lake, the took more than 98,000 pictures—but none captured the elusive creature.

Too bad Nessie wasn’t ready for a close-up. Wouldn’t THAT have been a great story?

The Bright Side Spooky Spotlight: Stories from the Vault

The Night the Art Came to Life

A look back at a Columbus Halloween creation straight out of Stars Hollow.

At first glance, Elley Coffin looked like part of the exhibit.

Then a trick-or-treater came looking for candy, and the “statue” awakened.

It took about 15 hours to prepare the transformation and tableau. Coffin fashioned her statue’s hair from sprayable insulation foam and mixed cornstarch into silver body paint for an aged, cracked finish.

Patrick Kosmacek stepped into a frame as Vincent van Gogh, while children could become part of Edvard Munch’s The Scream.

“I also wanted it to be interactive,” Coffin said, “so that’s how we came up with the idea of making the whole exhibit living artwork.”

The creation won first place in “Best of the Trunks.”

A gallery where the art hands out candy? Sign me up!

Event Spotlight: Roper Romp 2026

So many Helens. So many Moments.

Narrowing it down to eight wasn’t easy. The Helens in Hastings gave us plenty to smile about.

1. The Helens Got Top Billing

More than 30 businesses joined the fun—and the Rivoli Theatre put “Welcome Helens” on its marquee. Now that’s a welcome worthy of a curly red wig.

2. A Caftan Cinderella Story

Just days before the Romp, Calico Cottage came to the rescue for those still in need of a caftan. With fabric, sewing machines, and helping hands, the crew helped Helens get ready with a caftan-making party.

3. Come and Knock on Our Door!

Anjanette Bonham and I set up our Three’s Company living room backdrop. The photo spot was ready. All we needed were the Helens.

4. The Helens Arrived

More than 60 Helens from across Nebraska made their way to Hastings. Let the Romp begin!

5. Helens Here. Helens There.

Everywhere we looked, Helens were making themselves at home in downtown Hastings.

6. A Little Ink for Stanley

The Crow’s Nest welcomed Helens for temporary Stanley Roper tattoos—and a seat in the tattoo chair for the full photo-op experience. The ink was temporary. These pictures are keepers.

7. A Song for Every Helen

A roaming barbershop quartet from Chorus of the Plains serenaded the crowd with a song called “Helen.”

8. Until Next Year, Helens!

Thank you to everyone who welcomed us, joined us, and helped make the day such a success. See you next year, Helens!

 Bright Side Feature Story

Dear Stamford, With Love from 1976

For 50 years, Stamford’s time capsule held its secrets. This fall, the town opened it—and found more than keepsakes.

Jerry Rice told his family that he had put something in Stamford’s time capsule.

But he would never tell them what it was.

Jerry and his fellow lineman, George Howerter, worked for Twin Valley Public Power District and the two friends often stopped for lunch in Stamford’s Shady Rest Park.

As the family story goes, they happened to be there when the capsule was being sealed. So the two men added a little something of their own.

Years later, Jerry would remind his family to take him to the opening. He also left a note in his address book saying he would be 92 when the day arrived.

His daughter Jeri found it while sorting through his belongings after his death in 2023.

But what exactly had they tucked away? Whenever the family asked, Jerry gave the same answer:

“You will know when you see it.”

The guessing went on for years. A coin, perhaps? Something they’d had in their pockets? “He would never tell us what they left in the time capsule. We honestly expected cigarettes!” Jerri told me.

A date with the future

Elbert & Betty Loewenstein moved to Stamford in 1968. They were co-owners and employees of the bank. In 1976, they spearheaded the effort to create the time capsule as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration.

They left this note inside.

Something from the children

At Stamford’s elementary school, teachers helped their students decide what to leave inside the time capsule.

These weren’t grand predictions about the future. They were children’s accounts of the world around them.

Their pages were gathered into a booklet: “Notes to Our Ancestors.”

The children had done their part. Now their words would wait five decades to be discovered.

2026 seemed like a long way off

For years, people passed the time capsule monument on their way through town. Some noticed it without saying much. Others did the math.

“I’ve been watching that thing my whole life,” recalled Gina Brown, who grew up in Stamford. “I remember thinking...gosh..I’ll be 56 when they open that. Crazy how fast 50 years went!!”

Children grew up. Families moved. Some of the people who had tucked messages inside passed away.

But the time capsule remained.

As the opening approached, Rena Conner, who helps produce the weekly Stamford Newsletter, heard from people who didn’t want to miss it. The stone had designated July 4, 2026, but the town chose its annual Pork Day celebration as the occasion to gather.

Finally, the wait was over.

“You’ll know it when you see it.”

Sadly, neither lineman lived to see the capsule opened. George died in 2007; Jerry in 2023, just three years before the gathering he had so hoped to attend.

But their families came.

Jerry’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there, too— something Jeri knew would have pleased him.

As the contents emerged, they watched and waited. Letters were read, photographs shared, and keepsakes held up. Still, nothing stood out as the answer to their fathers’ secret.

When everything had been placed on the display tables, Jeri felt a little let down. Then she and Greg decided to take a closer look.

“Let’s go start digging!”

Greg found them quickly: two electric-service booklets.

“Just like Dad always said, we did know as soon as we saw it!” Jeri said.

Electric Rates and Meter Reading cards.

No cigarettes. Just a little piece of their working lives—and a mystery they had managed to keep going for 5 decades.

“Those two ornery men would have probably been teasing us the entire time, making us think there were gems or something valuable in there.”

George’s son brought up a point that really hit home for Jeri. Their fathers had been the last people to handle the cards before they were sealed away.

“What an incredible moment,” Jeri said. “We did feel like they were there with us.  You could just feel it.”

Family members of Elbert and Betty Loewenstein, the couple who came up with the time capsule idea, came back for the big opening. One of their daughters traveled all the way from Las Vegas.

Inside the time capsule they found assorted items from the bank. A calendar, pen, $2 bill and a bottle of bourbon.

What Mattered at Nine or Ten

Among those gathered were former students who had helped fill the capsule. Now they could read the pages they had written as children.

“I knew we put something in it but didn’t remember exactly what it was,” said Tracy Kauk.

The children who had described their families and pets were grown now. What had mattered enough to put on paper at nine or ten looked a little different after 50 years.

“I was surprised to read what was important to each of us at that age,” Tracy said. “Mostly family and pets!”

For Jodi Laizure, seeing the booklet again brought a simple pleasure. “It sure brought back memories,” she said. “It made me smile.”

But the schoolchildren had left more than handwriting.

Then came the voices

Back in 1976, while the third- and fourth-graders were writing about their lives, Mrs. Carol McInturf’s first- and second-graders were making a recording. Their contribution to the capsule was a cassette tape of the children introducing themselves and singing.

Patty Gollner was there and listened closely. Her mom was the teacher who made the recording. “We had heard that her class had made a cassette tape, but we had no idea what was on it.”

The next day, Patty and her dad went back to the bank, where the capsule’s contents were on display, to listen in private.

That’s when they heard it, loud and clear. “Mom’s voice came on right at first for just a quick announcement that her class would be introducing themselves and singing,” Patty said. “It was very sweet.”

More Than They Knew

In 1976, they knew when the capsule would be opened. They couldn’t know who would gather around it—or what those ordinary things would mean after 50 years.

Electric-service cards became a connection to two fathers. Schoolchildren’s pages brought back the families, friends, and pets they had loved. A cassette tape let a daughter and her dad hear a familiar voice again.

They had left pieces of everyday life for the future.

Fifty years later, those pieces brought a little of the past home.

Good News Moment

A Little Trust Goes a Long Way

A few days ago, I went to Pat’s Auto Repair to pick up my car after some major work. My husband dropped me off and headed on his way. Then I went to pay—and realized I didn’t have my checkbook.

What was I to do? The auto-shop equivalent of “washing dishes?”

Instead they handed me my keys and let me drive home to get my checkbook, with the bill still waiting to be paid.

It’s was a simple thing.

But I drove away grateful for more than a repaired car. I appreciated the trust—the kind that makes you feel like a friend, not just a customer.

We often talk about supporting local businesses. It’s worth noticing the ways they support us too.

Hometown Transformations

Their First Treasure Was the Building

New business set to open in the old Eileen’s Cookie building in Hastings.

Before Thomas’ Treasures could welcome its first shoppers, the building offered up a few discoveries of its own.

When the drop ceiling and ductwork came down, ceiling tiles hidden above them came into view. Behind the drywall was brick. Beneath the colorful square floor tiles, hardwood.

Ash and Makayla Thomas are turning the former Eileen’s Cookies location into an antique store, with an official opening planned for Friday, October 16. Eclipse Drafting and Construction has worked on the transformation.

For Ash, who grew up in Hastings, the address already holds a familiar memory: stopping in for cookies. Now, he and Makayla are making the space their own while bringing some of its older character back into view.

Their appreciation for things with a past runs in both families. Makayla’s grandparents operated an antique store; Ash’s parents were collectors.

At Thomas’ Treasures, they hope shoppers will find something they love and make it part of their own homes.

For Ash and Makayla, the first find was the building itself.

What’s Cooking with The Bright Side

Pumpkin Poke Cake with Caramel

Top it with thick, tangy cream cheese frosting 

By Betty Streff of GB’s Kitchen

This easy pumpkin poke cake starts with a cake mix, but is a true showstopper. The moist pumpkin cake is poked full of gooey caramel and smothered in rich cream cheese frosting. It's so good it practically guarantees requests for the recipe. It’s a dessert everyone remembers long after they've thoroughly licked their forks.

Find more recipes from Betty here. You’ll be glad you did!

Taking the Stage

She Grew Up Looking for Clues

Nebraska author Patricia A. Bremmer turned a childhood love of mysteries and newspaper puzzles into books that invite readers to solve the case.

As a girl growing up in Omaha, Patricia A. Bremmer devoured every Perry Mason book she could find. The word scrambles in the Omaha World-Herald rarely escaped her, either. She liked a mystery—and the satisfaction of figuring it out.

Years later, she began creating puzzles of her own. Her Elusive Clue mystery series gives readers two ways to investigate: follow the story, or find the hidden word puzzle. Unscramble its letters, and the murderer’s name is revealed.

When someone asks whether a character is based on a familiar person, her answer is a playful “Maybe!”

Bremmer has another mystery arriving this fall. Murder for Real, the second book in her Quinn Carson series. This time, Carson is hunting a serial killer while someone else targets seniors in his small town.

For the girl who loved solving clues, the tables have turned. Now she gets to leave them for someone else.

Find her books

Learn more at patriciabremmer.com.

Patricia was recently featured on my Nebraska Made? I’ll Try it! segment.

Nebraska Made? I’ll try it!

A heartfelt thanks to Five Points Bank for supporting Nebraska Made? I’ll Try It! and helping me share the people, products, and stories made right here in Nebraska.

Find local events near you!

All the forms you need in one place to share a story idea!

Curious About the Cover

Welcome to the Finish Line!

You made it! This is the last story in the issue—so you’ve officially read The Bright Side from cover to cover.

Here’s the behind-the-scenes story of this month’s cover.

I had my heart set on the carousel at Pioneer Village. I could see the picture I wanted in my mind.

Getting it on camera? That was another story.

After trying to make the carousel photo work, I moved to another spot. Luckily, Pioneer Village has selfie stations around the grounds, and I found one that was just right.

But why couldn’t I get a single carousel photo to work?

I’m blaming the shoes.

Yes, I had a dress on over my jeans and tennis shoes. And no, I had NO IDEA you could see them.

So much for my carefully planned carousel moment!

P.S. Carousel rides are included with admission, but there’s a donation box if you’d like to contribute. The suggested amount? The carousel’s old fare: a single nickel.

A little change. A little nostalgia. And one more reason to smile.

The end!